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REPORT FROM THE ASSOCIATION FOR CONSTRAINT PROGRAMMING

This is a short summary of activities within the ACP during the months October-December 2009.

ACP.1. Changes to the ACP Executive Committee

The 2010 Executive Committee comprises the following members (along with their elected terms):

John Hooker (Elected 2008-2012)

Pedro Meseguer (Elected 2007-2010)

Barry O'Sullivan (Elected 2008-2012)

Karen Petrie (Elected 2008-2010)

Thomas Schiex (Elected 2007-2010)

Peter Stuckey (Elected 2006-2012)

Roland Yap (Elected 2008-2010)

On behalf of the ACP the EC would like to offer its sincerest thanks to the following whose
terms on the Executive Committee came to an end at the end of December 2009:

Christian Bessiere

Jimmy H.M. Lee

Christian Schulte

Michael Trick

Each of these members have served the CP community extremely well during their time on the EC, for which we're very grateful.

ACP.2. Call for Bids for CP-2012

We are circulating the Call for Bids for CP 2012.

Call for proposals to host CP-2012

We invite proposals to host the 18th
International Conference on the Principles and Practice of Constraint
Programming (CP-2012). Proposals are due on or before April 1st, 2010. These
proposals will be evaluated by the Executive Committee of the Association for
Constraint Programming and a decision made for the site shortly afterwards.

The CP conferences are the premier
international conferences on constraint programming. They have been held
annually since 1995. CP 2010 will be held in St. Andrews (Scotland) and in Perugia (Italy) in 2011.
Previous CP conferences have been held in
Lisbon (Portugal), Sydney (AUS), Providence RI (USA), Nantes (Frances), Sitges (Spain), Toronto (Canada), Kinsale
(Ireland), Cornell (USA), Paphos (Cyprus), Singapore,
Alexandria (USA), Pisa (Italy), Schloss Hagenberg (Austria), Cambridge (USA), and Cassis (France).

Proposals should be up to two pages of plain
text and should address the following numbered topics:

If available, please include URLs to any additional information (e.g. web site for the conference venue or hotel).

Guidelines for the CP conference organization, as well as the
duties of the conference chair(s), can be found on the ACP web site.

Proposals should be sent to the secretary of
the Association for Constraint Programming committee preferably by email to secretary@a4cp.org . In preparing a
proposal, please feel free to address questions (e.g. regarding the suitability
of the proposed dates) to the same address, or to any member of the ACP
Executive Committee.

ACP.3. The 2010 ACP Summer School on Constraint Programming

The 2010 Summer
School will be held in a CNRS
Center, Centre Paul Langevin, located in Aussoix). It
is in the National Parc of la Vanoise,
in Savoie (France): http://www.caes.cnrs.fr/Vacances/Explorer/Aussois
The school is being organised
by Yves Deville and Christine Solnon. A call for
participation will be issued shortly by the organisers.

ACP.4. Call Surplus from CP 2008

Toby Walsh, CP
Conference Chair in 2008, has finalised the accounts
for CP 2008 which was held in Sydney.
The ACP provides seed money for the conference and sponsorship funding for the
doctoral programme. We are delighted to report that
CP 2008 has declared a good surplus for the community. A total of AUD 23.5k
will be returned to the ACP, which includes the seed funds provided to the
conference by the association.

The European Science Foundation's COST Action on
Algorithmic Decision Theory will sponsor a doctoral school on Computational
Social Choice during 9-14 April 2010
in Estoril, near Lisbon, Portugal.

All interested PhD students, working in fields such
as Computational Social Choice, (classical) Social Choice Theory and related
areas of Mathematical Economics, Multiagent Systems,
Artificial Intelligence, Logic, Theoretical Computer Science, as well as
Operations Research and Decision Analysis, are encouraged to apply (by sending
a CV and a short cover letter).

The doctoral school can accommodate up to 30
participants. The registration fee is EUR 225 (full pension). Applications must
be received by the end of January 2010.

I just want to inform you that the detailed results
of ICKEPS 2009 competition are now available on-line at http://kti.mff.cuni.cz/~bartak/ICKEPS2009/results.html
We also
started a new initiative whose goal is to bring the results of ICKEPS to a
wider planning community. At the competition web pages you can find a
repository with domains generated by some competing tools. This repository
shows how the real planning problems may look like.

The Cork Constraint Computation Centre (4C), Department of Computer
Science, University
College
Cork, will be working with thirteen other
partners across Europe on a two and a half
year EU FP7 project, FlexWood, to enable better use
of timber resources. The project aims to determine the optimal ways of cutting
a forest and distributing its products effectively, and in particular to reduce
wastage, which is currently estimated at 700M\200 annually across Europe. Crucial to this research is the technology
provided by a local Irish partner TreeMetrics to scan
standing trees for their shape. The FlexWood research
group at 4C
is headed by Dr James Little. The overall FlexWood
lead is Professor Barbara Koch of the University of Freiburg,
Institute for Forest Economy, Department of
Remote Sensing & Land Information Systems.

The focus is to deliver a new generation of
software tools designed to match the forest with industry demands through
innovative models and algorithms in harvesting simulation and
distribution. This software will be
delivered through Web2.0 based portals allowing freer
interaction and discussion between
buyers and sellers based on informed
decision-support from the FlexWood system.

Constraint Programming Letters (CPL) provides
an international forum for the electronic publication of high-quality scholarly
articles on constraint programming. All published papers are freely available online.

The goal of CPL is to promote and nurture
constraint programming research, report on its successful applications, and
encourage cross-fertilization with neighboring areas. In particular,

CPL provides an international publication medium for constraint programming research with a commitment to rigorous yet rapid
reviewing. Final versions are published electronically (ISSN 1932-0973) immediately upon receipt.

CPL offers a forum for research on the practice of constraint programming, including topics such as applications, implementation,
modeling, deployment successes and failures, and programming systems. Theoretical papers are also welcome.

CPL aims at strengthening the links with neighboring communities, including the operations research, numerical analysis,
planning, SAT, and verification communities. Papers reporting hybridizations of constraint programming with other techniques are especially welcome.

We started this
fully refereed, open access, free electronic journal in January 2005, intending
to create a high-level platform for publications in all theoretical and
practical areas in computer science involving logical methods, taken in a broad
sense. We are now on Issue 3 of Volume 5 (there are four issues a year). So
far, we have received more than 350 submissions of which we have published 162. In addition to
individual submissions, our journal publishes special issues, e.g., of selected
papers of high-level international conferences such as LICS, IJCAR, CAV, CSL,
and RTA.

We are continuing
actively to develop the journal. For example, we accept survey articles, and
are developing `live' surveys, which can be continually updated as knowledge
progresses. In another direction, we are considering allowing authors to
provide additional material of an expository nature, such as slides and videos,
to enable them to interest a wider spectrum of readers in their contribution.

The journal is an
overlay of CoRR, the computer science repository of arXiv. There are no fees for authors nor
for readers. Every paper is refereed by two or more referees, and high
standards are applied. The editorial board consists of about sixty top
specialists in all areas of logic in computer science.

The journal is
covered by Mathematical Reviews, the ISI Web of Knowledge, and the DBLP
Database.
We welcome your
comments and suggestions, and we seek your contributions!
For more information
please consult our web pages: www.lmcs-online.org

Abstract: Numerous
formalisms have been designed to model and solve decision-making problems. Some
formalisms, such as constraint networks, can express ÒsimpleÓ decision
problems, while others take into account uncertainties (probabilities,
possibilities...), unfeasible decisions, and utilities (additive or not). In
the first part of this book, we introduce a generic algebraic framework that
encompasses and unifies a large number of such formalisms. This formalism,
called the PlausibilityÐFeasibilityÐUtility (PFU) framework, is based on
algebraic structures, graphical models, and sequences of quantifications. This
work on knowledge representation is completed by a work on algorithms for
answering queries formulated in the PFU framework. The algorithms defined are
based on variable elimination or tree search, and work on a new generic
architecture for local computations called multi-operator cluster DAGs.

SCOPE
This book will
continue a series edited by LNAI since 2002. Its contents will be:

A selection of papers from the annual workshop on
Constraint Solving and Constraint Logic Programming CSCLP of the ERCIM Working
Group on Constraints, which was held in UPC Barcelona earlier this year.
Authors of papers that have been presented at the workshop are therefore
invited to submit final versions that take into account the discussion at the
workshop for this volume.

A selection of papers submitted to this open call
to the constraints community, even when they have not been presented at the
workshop.

All submissions will
be peer-reviewed.

IMPORTANT DATES
Intention to Submit:
Please upload a title and abstract to the submission system as soon as possible
to facilitate preparations for reviewing. These details can be revised at any
time.
Papers Due: Monday
25th of January 2010;
Notifications: Early
March 2010.
Papers should be
formatted in Springer LNCS style and should be 15-20 pages in length.
To submit your paper
please use the following web submission system:
https://www.easychair.org/login.cgi?conf=rac2009

IEEE Intelligent
Systems seeks original papers describing research on AI in Space.
This topic has been the focus of earlier
special issues, but this call is interested in a glimpse of the future from our
standpoint in 2010, and hence the theme AI Space Odyssey.

In anticipation of
long-duration space exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, likely by many
nations, we are looking for papers describing how AI has made missions possible
and will help make missions a success. Whereas in the 1980s and 1990s, researchers
saw AI as a panacea for intelligent autonomous systems, the AI technology used
today in space applications is often regarded differently. The editors of this
special issue solicit papers that describe new and novel use of AI technology
for space applications.

Papers may cover a variety of topics, listed here in no particular order:

semantics, ontologies, and knowledge representation;

pattern recognition and scientific discovery;

Intelligent System-Health Management (ISHM);

teleoperation and telerobotics;

planning, scheduling, constraint satisfaction;

adjustable autonomy;

agent-based and multiagent systems;

machine learning;

procedure-execution monitoring and aiding;

natural language processing and dialogue systems;

decision support; and

history of AI applications in astronautics and space exploration.

In addition, the
special issue will consider original papers on innovative, knowledge-based
approaches to complex implementation challenges such as:

AI-driven simulations, virtual reality, virtual worlds and games for engineering, operations, management, training, and so on;

decision and workflow support systems for planetary exploration and extra-vehicular activities;

AI-driven robotics and approaches for human-robot teamwork;

Smart sensor systems for situational awareness; and

ubiquitous computing environments.

Submission Guidelines

Papers should
situate the work within the field of AI, cite related work, and indicate the
innovative aspects of the work and its direct contribution to the special
challenges of space missions. We will not accept any paper that, at the time of
submission, is under review for or has already been published or accepted for
publication in a journal or another conference. All papers will undergo peer
and editorial review. Submissions should present original reports of
substantive new work and should be 3,500 to 7,500 words (counting a standard
figure or table as 200 words) and should follow the magazines style and
presentation guidelines (see www.computer.org/intelligent/author.htm).
References should be limited to 10 citations.
To submit a manuscript, access the IEEE Computer Society Web-based system,
Manuscript Central, at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral/cs-ieee

ECAI-2010
, The Nineteenth European Conference on Artificial Intelligence 16-20 August 2010, Lisbon, Portugal.
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 15 February 2010, Deadline for submission of full papers: 22 February 2010.

The Research Institute for Symbolic Computation offers positions for Doctoral studies in symbolic computation starting in 2010.

Symbolic Computation is the subarea of mathematics and
computer science which solves problems on symbolic objects representable
on a computer. The Research Institute for Symbolic Computation (RISC) in the castle of Hagenberg, Austria, is an international institute
with its research focus on various branches of symbolic computation.
Research interests of RISC include:

Algebraic Geometry

Algorithmic Combinatorics

Automated Reasoning

Parallel and Distributed Computing

Computer Algebra

Scientific Computing

RISC has
a program for doctoral studies. About 25 Ph.D. students are currently
participating in this program. In the frame of its doctoral program, RISC
offers:

a curriculum with lectures and seminars in English,

fellowships for covering living expenses in Austria,

access to latest research results in the field,

an inspiring location in a medieval castle, and

contacts to leading scientists at RISC and around the world.

RISC seeks applications of excellent and highly motivated students with a university
degree in mathematics and/or computer science.
Experience in symbolic computation is an advantage but no formal
requirement.For
starting your Ph.D. studies at RISC in October, please send your application by
February 15. Please check our website for further details.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences at the IBM T.J. Watson Research
Center
has a postdoctoral position available in the area of SAT and SMT solvers,
and in particular how techniques from SAT and SMT solvers can be used to help
solve mixed-integer programming problems. We are looking for someone with
expertise in SAT and SMT solving, and ideally with good programming skills in
C++ and / or Java. Experience with constraint programming and mixed-integer
programming is also desirable.

Inquiries
and applications for this position should be sent to Andrew Davenport at davenport
'curly at sign' us.ibm.com

Job opening for constraint-propagation (ECLiPSe) expert in Singapore

Experiments
in social psychology have shown that people spontaneously attribute intentions,
beliefs, emotions, and other mental states to simply-animated, moving figures.
Although there is research on what factors affect people's tendency to make
such attributions, there has been little work on developing a process model.

Although
our initial aim is to develop a process-oriented account, we believe that a
computational model of such attributions could have a variety of practical
applications such as monitoring systems for assisted living and for security.

Our
approach involves creating a knowledge base that links movement patterns to
mental states that typically motivate them. An important aspect of the movement
pattern knowledge is a variety of geometric spatial constraints, which need to
be formulated in a logic-based constraint framework such as ECLiPSe
(http://eclipse-clp.org/). We are looking for a recent PhD (or highly motivated
science graduate) who has experience with constraint propagation techniques and
an interest in cognitive or perceptual modelling.
Hands-on experience with ECLiPSe is strongly preferred.

The
Microsoft Research Constraint Reasoning Group
(http://research.microsoft.com/constraint-reasoning) is offering several
three-month internship positions. Jobs are open to PhD students and to
post-doctoral researchers with a primary interest in search and optimization.
We welcome in particular applicants that have complementary interests in:

Search

Success stories

On June 13th 2015, the robot-lab Philae woke up on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to resume a series of experiments interrupted seven months ago. These experiments were scheduled using Constraint Programming, and researchers of the team ROC of the LAAS-CNRS lab developed
propagation algorithms
to help the Scientific Operations and Navigation Centre (SONC) to efficiently achieve this task.